Combined insulator and shunt circuit closer



June 3, 1930. SHEPERD 1,761,496 COMBINED INSULATOR AND SHUNT CIRCUIT CLOSER dr iginal Filed May 14. 1927 [j Qwuentov Patented June 3, 1930 PATENT GFFECFE RAYlVIOND E. SI-IEPERD, OF IVIO'U'NT VERNON, NEW YORK COMBINED INSULATOR AND SHUNT CIRCUIT CLOSER,

Application filed May 14, 1927, Serial No. 191,439. Renewed February 8, 1930.

This invention relates to a combined insulator and fuse for lighting circuits and particularly to street lighting circuits. In the lighting circuits which include street lamps and a street light fixture, there is oftentimes an open circuit or ground caused in the fixture due to overloading of the circuit, dampness, defective insulation of the cable or like causes, and an open or grounded circuit is quite liable to set fire to the pole, kill a man changing the lamp and open the circuit, which is usually a series circuit, and

when this is the case, employes of the company spend many hours and take big chances with their lives in finding the open circuit.

The general object of the present invention is to provide a strain insulator for use under these circumstances so constructed that, if the local circuit is open or grounded, the circuit will be closed.

A further object is to provide a device of this character which is so constructed that the low voltage insulating member which breaks down when the circuit is open at the lamp may be readily removed or readily inserted without danger.

Another object is to provide an insulator of this character adapted to carry high tension wires-if necessary and which will afford a thoroughly good engagement between the main line wires and the insulator and which is further so constructed that the wires may easily be connected up to the circuit breaking devices mounted within the insulator.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein 2-- Figure 1 is a perspective view of an insulator constructed in accordance with my invention;

screws 11 and separated by a gasket 13. I do not wish to be limited to any particular material for the insulator. The insulator body is formed at its middle with a downwardly projecting pole-engaging portion 12 having standard screw-threads whereby it may be mounted on the usual pin on a pole cross arm. The insulator is formed with grooves 14 extending along its corners parallel to the longitudinal axis of the insulator and is also proviced with the transversely extending inclined passages 15 which extend entirely through the insulator, one of these passages 15 being disposed at an angle to the other passage 15 so that they cross each other. The middle of the insulator formed with a centrally disposed bore or chamber 16 and disposed at the lower end f this chamber are the oppositely disposed metallic contact members 17. These at their lower ends are angularly bent so as to extend laterally through passages 18 and into the brass binding posts 19v provided with the binding screws 20 which extend through one wall of the insulating body. The contacts 17 extend upward into the chamber 16 and are angularly bent at 21 so to provide re-entrant portions.

Insertable into the chamber 16 is a holder for the dielectric element composed of the w insulating head 22 having a handle 23 and a cap 24:. This head carries the two laterally disposed tongs 25. These extend straight downward from the head, then are extended inward, then reentrantly bent as at 26, and then are extended downward in a more or less close adjacency to each other, as 27.

A dielectric element 28 is adapted to be normally supported between the lower ends of these tongs to hold the tongs apart against so the resiliency of the tongs themselves and of the contacts 17.

The use of this device is as follows: It is mounted upon the pin of the cross arm of the pole as usual and the. main line wires 29 f; which are,,of course, insulated are carried along the grooves 141, then laterally out through the transverse p .ssage 15, then extended back along grooves 14-, and is wrapped around the main line wire, at

30, and then extended to the aperture 31 which leads to the corresponding binding sleeve 19. The main line wire is then bared and inserted in this sleeve so that an eleccal connection is formed between the main line wire 29 and the corresponding contact 19. A local circ lit wire 32 is tapped onto the wire 29 and extended downward to a pole and then through the pole to the lamp. The head 24- constitutes a cap which fits tightly upon the upwardly projecting wall 33 which defines the chamber 16 and projects beyond this wall so as to torn a water-tight closure, preventing water :rrom seeping down into the chamber 16.

lVith the device mounted as described, it. a short circuit or ground occurs in the local circuit, the dielectric element 28 will burn out and the resilience of the member 17 will cause the two arms to be shifted into contact with each other so that the two ends of the main line wire are electrically connected, closing the circuit through the main line which cuts out one light. Under these circumstances, there is no danger Git the pole being seton {ire nor any danger of an employe being locked. Of course, the open circuit can be readily found on account oi? the li it at that par-tic lar post being out. After the open circuit has been fixed, during the day vhcn the circuit is closed, the safety plug formed by the parts 2), 23, 2d and 25 can be removed and a new dielectric element inserted. between the prongs 27. hen the safety plug is withdrawn from the insulator, the contacts 17 will close against each other so as to automatically close the circuit without any fluctuation whatever. It will be noted that the upper ends oi the contacts 17 are divergently inclined and tha above tl e fuse holding portions 27, the an .lar portions 26 provide in wardly extending portions. Thus, the insertion of the contracted lower ends of the tongs will act to spread the contacts 17 apart i-om each other so that the plug may be readily inserted bGJWQGIl these contacts and that whe it is so inserted is locked in place it any accidental detachment.

he particular construction of this insulator is such that the two line wires are looped about the insulator and engage the insulator at d' gonally opposite points, or in o her words, the loops overlap each other and each passes through the other loop. This breaks down, the wires being crossed or l avoverlapping loops will keep the insulator 'irom dropp it do not matter whether the insulator breaks lon udinall or transversel Y in a plane the two loops will keep the pieces of the insulator from dropping down. The in uction is such that in case the insulator t ru down into the street. and

horizontal 1e or transversely in vertica sulator is made waterproof by the rubber gasket 18 and this gasket prevents the insulater from shitting when the two sections are drawn together.

Vhile I have described my insulator as particularly used in connection with street lighting systems, I do not wish to be limited to this use nor do I wish to be limited to minor details oi" construction except as deiined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A. combined insulator and circuit closer for electric light circuits comprising an insulating body having means whereby it may be mounted on a post and formed with a chamber open at one end, the body being formed with transversely extending apertures through which main line wires may be passed, opposed metallic resilient contacts disposed at the closed end of the chamber and having portions extending longitudinally through the insulator, binding sleeves disposed within the insulator and having electrical engagement with the contacls, the binding sleeves being adapted to receive the ends of the main line wires. binding screws engaging said main line wires and holding them in the sleeves. and

a plug having a. head adapted to close the open end of the chamber and having a haudle whereby it may be removed, the plug carrying oppositely disposed metallic tongs adapted to be inserted between and having interlocking engagement with the cents and adapted to support a. dielectric element holding the tongs apart against the resilience off the contacts.

2. A combined insulator and circuit (.lO? for electric light circuits comprising an li" sulating body having means whereby it may be mounted-0n a post and formed with :1 chamber open at one end, the body being formed with transversely extending apertures through which main line wires may be passed, opposed n'letallic resilient contacts dis )osed at the closed end of the chamher and having portions extending lougi tudiually through the insulaton binding sleeves disposed within the insulator and having electrical engagement with the contacts, the binding sleeves being ada ited to receive the ends of the main line wires. binding screws engaging said main llili. wires and holding them in the slcews, and a plug iaving a head adapted to close the open end of the chamber and having a handle whereby it may be removed, the plug carrying oppositely disposed metallic tongs adapted to be inserted between and having interlocking engagement with the contacts and adapted to support a dielectric element holding the tongs apart against the resilience of the contacts, the contacts being formed to provide outwardly bowed portions having diverging extremities and the tongs being formed to provide outwardly bow-ed portions engaging the bowed portions of the contacts and beyond the bowed portions having parallel portions within which the dielectric element is adapted to be disposed.

3. An insulator of the character described adapted to be disposed between the ends of main line wires and with which the ends of the main line wires are adapted to be engaged, said insulator having means whereby it may be mounted upon a pole and having a chamber therein, open at one end and closed at the other, oppositely disposed contacts mounted in the inner end of said chamber and resiliently urged toward each other, with which contacts the ends of the main line wires adapted to be electrically engaged, and a plug comprising a head and a handle adapted to be inserted in the open end of the chamber to form a water-tight closure therefor, and tongs mounted upon said head extending into the chamber and contracted so as to extend between the ends of the contacts, a dielectric element disposed between and supported by the tongs, the contacts resiliently urging the element-carrying portions of the tongs into electrical engagement with each other. I

4:. A strain insulator comprising two confronting sections, means for holding the sections engaged with each other, the insulator having at opposite ends transverse passages and having longitudinal grooves upon its outer face leading from each end of the insulator to the ends of the remote passage whereby to permit main line conductors to be looped each through one of the passages and the loop extended along said grooves and the free end of the main line conductor to be wrapped around the body of the conductor, the insulator having a medially disposed chamber having contacts therein, binding posts at opposite ends of the insulating body to which the contacts are connected and adapted to receive the terminal portions of the main line wires, and means insertable into the chamber acting to hold the contacts apart until the voltage across the contacts is increased beyond a predetermined point.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

RAYMOND E. SHEPERD. 

